Kamala Harris discovers a new path to success

How did Kamala Harris become so skilled at this?

How does a below-average vice president get instantaneously transformed into a delightful performer who seems flawless?

It’s quite simple. 

As the writer and strategist James Burnham once said, “Where there is no alternative, there is no problem”: Since there was no viable alternative to boosting Harris to a star status (and replacing Joe Biden was not a feasible option), she is now seen as inspirational, trendy, and moderately appealing. 

In essence, Kamala has deviated from the conventional path of being labeled as a political talent at the level of JFK or Obama: She is considered great because she is the Democratic nominee, not the Democratic nominee because she is great. 

Had Joe Biden stepped down last year, there likely would have been a contentious competition for the nomination.

Kamala might have been the frontrunner and possibly would have secured the nomination.

However, she would have had to work for it — engaging in town halls, interviews, debates, defending her track record, facing media scrutiny, and winning the support of actual voters. 

Securing a nomination is a significant achievement, and even the weakest candidate tends to show promise at some point. 

In prior instances, such as in 1988 when Michael Dukakis was leading George H.W. Bush by 17 points, there was excitement. 

In 1996, with the Jack Kemp pick injecting energy into Bob Dole’s ticket, there was hope. Etc.

Kamala did not have to undergo the same proving process. 

On the contrary, her lack of effort in winning the Democratic nomination paradoxically paved the way for her rise to stardom. 

A genuine nomination process would likely have exposed Kamala’s flaws or made her current privileged position impossible.

(She has not participated in a formal TV interview since June 24, with one of her allies suggesting she will not do another until after Labor Day.)

All her stances would have been scrutinized, and any policy changes would have been criticized by fellow Democrats. 

In a primary context, the media would have relished covering all the contention and posing challenging questions — they might have even supported a candidate other than Kamala. 

By skipping past the primaries, Kamala went straight into a race against the disliked Donald Trump, where the media inevitably favors her. 

She has not had to face voters in settings where she would be challenged; hasn’t had to compete for attention through interviews with other Democratic candidates; and hasn’t faced the usual attacks that nominees encounter from intraparty rivals. 

Since having a competitive process after Biden stepped aside would have been too burdensome, she was simply chosen.

Yet she is being treated as if she had triumphed in national primaries and caucuses like an unstoppable political force, even though she has never competed in a national Democratic primary.

(She exited too early in 2019 and entered too late in 2024.)

Her ascension alone created a motivation for Democrats and the media to declare her exceptional. 

In reality, she is a political figurehead whose primary talent lies in barely conveying determination, passion, and mirth while reading from a teleprompter. 

Shielded from direct voter interactions and media scrutiny, opposing an unpopular former president, and buoyed by a party and press that are forced to put all their aspirations in her, she has suddenly become more than the sum of her parts. 

As Kamala renamed her running mate Tim Walz as Coach Walz, he may have told his football players at some point that “there’s no substitute for going out and earning it.”

Kamala 2024 is evidence that, in fact, there is. 

Twitter: @RichLowry